Media, The Masses, and the Road to Power: How Leaders are Built in the 21st Century

Wednesday, April 15th, 2015 6:00pm

Shakespeare’s play, Richard III, charts a Machiavellian ascent to the English throne by this most notorious member of the House of York. It paints him as an ambitious, physically deformed, and conniving anti-hero. As a popular form of Elizabethan era media, some scholars have even proposed that Shakespeare’s play borders on propaganda in its unflagging support of the ruling House of Tudor. So, how much has changed? How much control do our leaders have over their own narratives? In what ways does our multifaceted media landscape craft the image and substance of our leaders? What agendas drive the stories, and who stands to benefit from a less-than-nuanced understanding of the characters? Will the ubiquity of decentralized social and internet media impact these patterns? As we jump headlong into another presidential election season, join us for a conversation on those who wield power and the stories we tell ourselves about them.

And as always, our Forum will be moderated by our gracious supporter and active community volunteer, Jonathan Parker. Other panelists will be announced shortly.